Laundry washer control



,April 7, 1936. R. s. ELBERTY, R. Er AL 2,036,201

LAUNDRY WASHER CONTROL Filed Sept. 29, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l WITNESSES H b f gNV/EEITO; J ggfi oer .E ery,r.

George C. Pearce. BY 0%.! a. W 0% ATTORNEY April 7, 1936. R'S. ELBERTY, JR, ET AL 2,036,201

I LAUNDRY WASHER CONTROL I I Fiied Sept. .29, 1931 2 Sheefs-Sheet 2 In Sfapf/z Sfarf U.

Li? ma WITNESSES! INVENTOR Froberf 5. E/berfy,./r.

C W George C. Pearce fun! 6,

ATTbRNEY Patented Apr. 7, 1936 UNITED Application September 29, 193i, denial No. 565358 3 (Claims.

This invention relates to electrical control systerms for reversing motors and particularly motors driving laundry equipment, such as washing machines and extractors, or any other industrial a equipment, such as planets, or the reversing roll tables of rolling mills.

With the washing machines commonly used in laundries, some difiiculty is experienced in arresting the removable cover of the cylinder in iii registry with the removable cover of the enclosing housing, and attendants are frequently injured because present systems of control are not fool-proof.

One object of our invention is to provide a iii simple, inexpensive and substantially foolproof system of control for electric motors.

A further object of our invention is the provision of a system of control for accelerating the motor during starting operation in response to go the inductive time constants of the accelerating means. ,7

A further and more specificobject of our invention is the provision of a plurality of normally closed inductive-time-limit accelerating contacas tors disposed to be deenergized when the motor is energized to accelerate the motor to normal operating speed by inductive time.

It is also an object of our invention to prevent starting of the motor unless. the attendant and iii!) certain elements of the machine driven by the motor are in predetermined positions.

Qther objects and advantages will become apparent from a study of the following specification, when considered in conjunction with the 35 accompanying drawings, in. which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic showing of our system of electrical control when utilized in connection with a source of direct-current power;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic showing of our sysi 'tem of electrical control when utilized in connection with a three-phase source of alternatingcurrent power;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic showing of the sub-' ject matter of Fig. 2 as modified to operate with a single-phase source of alternating-current power; and,

Fig. 4 is a modification, diagrammatically showing the use of an iron core reactor with the accelerating relay.

5" In the drawings, and particularly in the modification shown in Fig. 1, our system of control is devised to control the motor-operated washer 39 from' a'source of'direct=current electrical energy. As is the usual practice in laundries, the

-1 direction of rotation of the washer 39 is periodi- (Gl. Elm-240D) cally reversed. To accomplish this, the washer,

in the more modern practice, is operated by a reversing motor. This motor is shown at 59 and is provided with shunt field windings i and series field windings 56 and, for purposes of reversing 5 the motor, is provided with a forward directional contactor F and a reverse directional contactor R.

' In order not to subject the..motor armature to excessive starting currents, a starting resistor 69 is connected in circuit relation with the armal0 ture of the motor, and the sections 64 and 65 of the starting resistor are controlled by a pair of normally closed accelerating contactors l5 and El. These accelerating contactors, though normally spring biased to circuit-closing position,

are nevertheless so arranged in the system of control that the armature of the motor cannot be connected directly to the source of supply, while the contacts of the accelerating contactors are in circuit closing position.

To effect the periodic reversing of the motor 59,

a timer motor 28 is utilized to drive one or more controller drums for controlling the energization of the forward directional contactor F and the reverse directional contactor R. The timer motor 28 may be any suitable constant-speed motor and i usually arranged to operate a plurality of con- -troller drums, the drums being so arranged that only one motor 5? can be reversed at a time. The system of control and machines diagram- 39 maticaliy shown in Fig. 1 represents only one of a series of similar equipments, and the timer motor functions to prevent the starting of more than one motor, and the machine driven thereby,

at a time.

It is, of course, obvious that the system of control shown in Fig. l is not limited to the control of a washer or extractor but is equally useful for the control of the roll table of a rolling mill, the planer platen of a planer or any other machine where a reciprocatory motion of an element of a machine is desired.

A more complete understanding of the novel results of the subject matter shown in Fig. 1 can be had from a study of the operation of the equipment shown.

Assuming that the main-line conductors or buses l and 6 are energized and that knife switches 2 and l are in circuit-closing position, closing of the knife switch 2 obviously establishes an energizing circuit for the shunt field windings 4 of the motor 59 by a circuit extending from the "conductor or bus I, through the knife switch 2,

conductor 3, shunt field winding 4 and conductor 5, to the energized bus 6. The closing of the switch 1 cannot establish any circuits until the control relay has operated to close the contact members 26. In fact, no operating circuits can be established until the Start push-button switch and the safety switch 8 have been moved to circuit-closing positions.

For the benefit of the attendant controlling the operation of the washer 39, the arrangement of the Start push-button switch and the safety switch 8 is such that the attendant must be in a given position before the washer 39 can be started in operation, thereby preventing accidents to the attendant. The switch 8, however, is usually of the type that can be latched to circuit-closing position, and, since the normal starting of the machine is controlled by the contact members 38 on the door 38 of the washer, the suggested safety features are not as important during normal operation as are the safety features hereinafter discussed in connection with the inching operation of the machine.

If the switch 8 is held or latched in circuit-closing position, conductor 8 is energized, and a circuit is established from conductor 9, through conductor I 0, the back or normally-closed contact members I of the forward directional contactor F, conductor l2, the back or normally closed contact members |3 of the reverse directional contactor R and the magnetizing coil H of the accelerating contactor l5, to the energized con- 'ductor 6.

, will, for any given adjustment, have a fixed time constant independent of the operating characteristics of the motor. The time constant may, however, as intimated, be adjusted within relatively wide limits by a suitable selection of characteristics for the neutralizing winding 43 and the proper adjustment of the spring arrangement 44.

Since the magnetizing coil I4 is the main or operating coil of the accelerating contactor IS, the contact members l6, shunting the starting resistor 65, are immediately opened, and the contact members I9 are operated to circuit-closing position, whereupon a second circuit is established from the energized conductor I0, through conductor H, the magnetizing coil |8 of the accelerating contactor 2| and contact members I9, to the energized conductor 6. The energization of the actuatin coil I8 similarly effects the opening of the contact members 20 of the accelerating relay 2|, thereby opening the shunt circuit for the starting resistor section 64. From the foregoing operation, it will be obvious that the starting resistor 69 is placed in circuit between the conductor 63 and the conductor 6 prior to the energization of the motor 59.

Since the coil 8 is energized a fixed amount and, as connected, is not infiuenced'by the operating characteristics of the motor, the time-limit accelerating contactor will, for any given adjustment, have a fixed time constant.

To eifect the starting of the motor 59, the Start push button is actuated, whereupon a circuit is established from the energized conductor 9, through conductor 22, the Start push-button switch, conductor 23, actuating coil 24 of the control relay C and conductor 25, to the energized conductor 6. The closing of the contact members 26 of the control relay C establishes an conductor 5.

operating circuit for the timer motor 28 from conductor through switch 1, contact members 26, conductor 21, timer motor 28 and conductor 29, to the bus 6.

Our system of control through the controller segments 49, 49', etc., is designed to control a series of motors of which the motor 59 is one. If the controller segments 49 and 48', shown in development, are in the position illustrated with reference to the contact fingers at the left, no operating circuits for the respective motors can be established.

The control relay C for the motor 59 releases the magnetic brake 36. The circuit for the brake may be traced from the energized conductor I8, through conductor 30, contact members 3| of the control relay C, conductor 31, the actuating coil 32 of the brake 36, connected in parallel with the resistor 33, and the resistor 34, to the energized The resistors 33 and 34 obviously limit the current drawn by the actuating coil 32, and the resistor 33 also functions as a discharge resistor when coil 32 is deenergized.

A holding circuit is also established for the actuating coil 24, which may be traced from the energized conductor 31, through the contact members 38 on the door 38' of the washer 39, conductor 46, the upper or normally closed contact members of the Stop or inch up, In. UK, pushbutton switch, the Stop or inch down, In. D." stop push button, the conductor 23, actuating coil 24, to the energized conductor 25. From the circuit just traced, it will be apparent that, if the Start push-button switch is released and the door of the washer 39 is not closed, thereby closing the contact members 38, the actuating coil 24 will be deenergized, and the timer motor 28 will stop operation, and also the circuits for the directional contactors cannot be established, thereby making it impossible to start the motor unless the door 39 is closed. The directional contactors cannot be energized when contact members 38 are in open-circuit position, because conductors 40 and 46 and the controller segment 48 cannot be energized.

If the door 38' is properly closed, thereby energizing conductor 40, the conductor 46 is energized through the normally closed contact members of the push-button switches, thereby establishing an energizing circuit forthe forward directional contactor F, which circuit may be traced from the energized conductor 46, through contact fingers 41 and 48-bridged by the controller segment 49conductor 50, actuating coil and conductors 52 and 53, to the main-line conductor or bus 6. The neutralizing coils 42 and 43 of the accelerating contactors 2| and I5 are also energized after the door of the washer is closed, the Start" push-button switch has been released, and the control relay C has operated. This circuit may be traced from the energized conductor 46, through conductor 4| and neutralizing coils 42 and 43, to the bus 6. The neutralizing coils 42 and 43 need not necessarily be connected as described but may be connected directly and permanently across conductors 9 and 6. In either case the neutralizing coils produce a fixed neutralizing effect for any adjustment of the coils and thus control the time constants of the respective accelerating relays l5 and 2| independent of the operating characteristics of the motor.

The accelerating contactors I5 and 2| per se, do not constitute a part of this invention. However, these contactors effect acceleration of the motor within a predetermined interval of time. In design, these contactors embody substantially the subject matter shown in the Willard G. Cook Patent No. 1,753,983, April 8, 1930, assigned to the Westinghouse Electric 8; Manufacturing Company. vThe time constant of these accelerating contactors may be very accurately edjusted by the adjustable-spring arrangement shown at 44 and 45 and a proper selection and adjustment of the coils 43 and 42.

Operation of the forward directional contactor F establishes an armature circuit for the motor 59 which may be traced; from the enersized conductor 3, through series field. winding iifil, conductor 55, contact members 56%, conductor iii, armature 5E3, conductors tit and contact members conductor Q53 and resistor sections M and $5 of the starting resistor to the conductor 53.

it will be noted that the operation of the directional contactor F also interrupts the cirsuit for the magnetizing coil it of acceler ating contactor it at the contact members it Since the magnetizing coil it is cleenei izeri, acceierating contactor after a precetermineri interval of time, depending upon the resistance value of discharge resistor Ziit, the time cot:- stants of coil it and the neutralizing coil and the adjustment of the spring arrangement and not upon any operating characteristics of the motor 59, closes the contact member 56, thereby shunting the resistor section Since the contact members 99 are moved o l en circuit position by the deenergization ct accelerating contactor iii, the magnctising' co of the accelerating contactor M is ric Q,

it and, in consequence, the resistor sec shunted at the contact members art tie ermineci interval of time, depend resistance value or discharge resistor time constants of coil coil 02 and the adjustment of the rangement i5 and not upon any opera acteristic of the motor From the operation just disctnset'i, it is one that the motor is acceierated predetermined interval of time indepe dent of its operating characteristic and that e accel oration is effected by but one induct ve t iiinit contactor ior each starting resistor 5 tion, and that no special set-up relays or iliary circuits are necessary to accelerate motor or to establish operating circu ts in; accelerating contactors.

After the washer has operated in a rection for a definite period of time, upon the timing motor the circuit 10*; actuating coii 5i is interrupted at the o fingers 6i. Bach coils it and oi the three tional contactors E and R, are connected directly across the armature of the motor when contact members and open and these coils will thus be subject to the full counter-electro motive force of the motor bti, thereby criestiveiy sealing the contact members it and H8 in the circuit-closing position, whereupon the niag= netizing coils it and is are successively ener= sized. as heretofore explained, and. the shunt circuits for the starting resistor sections are again interrupted. After this operation has been effected, the controller segment it bridges the contact fingers 48 and 35, thereby establish ing a circuit from the energized segment t8,

through conductor 74, actuating coil it of the reverse directional contactor R and conductors I6 and 53, to the. bus 6. The operation 01' the directional contactor R effects the closing of the contact members l1 and 18, thereby establishing a reverse circuit for the motor 59 and also effects the deenergization of the magnetizing coll I4 of the accelerating contactor l5. ing contactors l5 and fit thereupon effect the acceleration of the motor 59 in the reverse direction, in. the manner heretofore explained for forward operation.

If, during operation, either one of the Stop push-button switches is actuated, the motor is stopped. However, the door on the drum of the washer very frequently is not brought into registry with the door on the enclosing casing of the laundry machine. It is, therefore, desirable that the drum of the washer be inched to position and. this inching operation is usually done when the door of. the washer is open. Obviously, if the attendant is at the door and inching is effected, accidents may readily occur. To prevent any accidents, the Stop" push-button switches and the Start push-button switches are so disposed. that the attendant must use both hands to effect inching operation and therefore, can observe the movement of t e drum during inching operation with the door open, but he cannot be in the position to be injured by the movement of the drum.

This safety lecture is accomplished by the arrangement shown at the various push-button switches. By this arrangement. after the washer has been stopped, inching cannot be effected in the up or down direction unless the Start push-button switch is also actuated. That is, if the attendant wishes to inch in the up direction, the Stop push-hutton switch at the em ti me is is moved to close its lower contact members, and the Start push-button switch is depressed to ciose the lower contact members, thereby establishing circuit for the forward.

contactor The circuit for t be traced from the energized c directional is lower contact memo 1)., Stop" push button ccniactor. Similarly, if. is 1 the down direction, the reverse contactor is energized actur-"L push-button switches at the .1 establi hing circuit from conductor the two :button switches throu tioneo, to ccntiuctors and it to the a tuetin coii The of control and the mecha ics. equiprne ssociateci with the motor and controi syste illustrated in Fig. 1 represent but one of series oi such equipments. Gbviousiy, in a large iaunriry, the number of units may be con siderebie. However, since these washers or extract s of the laundry equipment are continually started and. is obvious that the load on the power piant or central power station of the iaundry iniury of the main generators or other equipment, unless some provision be made to prevent time etc s or reversing of more than one machine e tion is readily effected by the timer motor 29, that is disposed to operate a plurality of controller segments (iii, ts, etc. which permits the succes- The acceleratvary over a wide range to the t a time. additional controlling aciii) erating the washers.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2, the control system is devised to cooperate with a threesource of alternating-current power, and is designed to control the washer i23 the motor '53 driving the washer, in the same manner as the motor 59 and. the washer 39 are controlled in the system shown in Fig. 1.

Assume that the conductors M", 32 and So are energized from a suitable twee-phase source supply and that switch 88 is in c':cuit-ciosing eositiou, thereby energizing the conductors St, SE and 35'. If the switch members 85 a d '3 and E68 and we are in circuit-ciosx g ptic-11s the Start push-button switch is actuated, a airis established from the e" rgizefi conductor through conductor 8'5, switch contiuctci' lower or mormeiiy open contact membez's of 't button switc conductor 93, ac toting eoii M of the cont: ouctoi" switch 1 ene gized conductor e circuit is also esteb ized conductor 90, t contact mem ers of Q? 98, some c etic brake and c e the actuating coil 99 of cannot be energ' cus the eiectro-meg we closed coil to the ezzeigi Ze C ntact membeze s ESTFS 50, conductor meziioei's of t It is, therefore, obvious Stei't push-button switch is door i520 is not ciosecL'the contro'i not energized and t 2 ct be effected even t is egoem H3 driven by the tmer such position motor circvi through conductor M3, the com motor 533, conductor switcn members Q07, switch M33, and. con-due the energized conductor The thus being energized, effects mov controller segment H3 toward er the reicese oi" Start button switch, conductor Hi5, cont and i i2-bridged by the contr e an direction After a. predeterrevolutions in a given direction, the forward direction, have been accompiished, the timer motor 104 interrupts the circult for the actuating coil H5 at the contact finget i 52 and a moment later an energizing circuit is established for the actuating coil E21 of the reverse directional contector B. This circuit; may be traced f om eneigizect controller segment H3, through the contact finger I25, con- -='iuctor E28 and coil E'E'i, to the energizeci conductor The cycie operation may, therefore, be unhmiteci number of times by ti motor, and toe me or 1'9 comes to rest 0121 the Stop pusi1-button switches ec eted.

' cussed in connection with Ii is a; part of vie": that, after the washer in a given mined number of operation, luctois 34 ii-button tne Stop the Start III- ifl from the COACZUC'COI 68' coil ii; of whereupon moved to .-cL rent grower.

i .se source c n emanating-cmrent .120-

\ .tl out special ste coiled. to the the acceleratut the reactor is, of course, i the rezctohas some reoc designed to have 9, pre- .fhe accelerating shunts an im' eedence ti the motor, and

to an acceleratog reactor but may rig iziipedence.

o is close thereby a circuit 1 through conductor 4 the lower c1" norme.

ouctor M3, ct members of ch, conductor H4,

coil of .9 contest reiey C,, com

ductors I46 and I41, switch I48 and conductor I49, to the energized conductor I40. In this modification, as in the modifications heretofore discussed, the magnetic brake is energized from the energized conductor I44, through the Stop pushbutton switches, conductor I50, contact members I5I on the door I53 of the washer I52 and actuating coil I54, to the energized conductor I41. immediately after the operation of the control relay C, a holding circuit is established for the actuating coil I45, through the circuit including the conductor I55, the contact members H56, and conductor I51, contact members IN, to the en ergized conductor I50 and an energizing circuit for the timing motor I59 is also established from the conductor I39, through switch I58, timing motor I59, conductor I60, contact members i6l, conductor I62 and switch member I63, to the energized conductor I40. From the foregoing discussion, it is obvious that the washer driving motor cannot begin operating unless the door of the washer is firmly closed.

After the timing motor has moved the controller segment I61 to bridge contact fingers I66 and I65, the forward directional contactor F is energized by a circuit which may be traced from the energized conductor I44, through the "Start" push-button switch. conductor I64, contact fingers I65 and I66-bridged by the .controller segment I61conductor I68, actuating coil Q69 and conductor I10, to the energized conductor I41. The contact members I13 of the forward directional contactor immediately close, thereby establishing an operating circuit from the conductor I39, through conductors HI and I12, contact members I13 and conductor M4, to one of the primary windings I15 of the motor and thence through conductor I16, accelerating resistor I11, and conductor I18 to the energized conductor I40, for driving the washer I52.

Continued operation of the timing motor I 56 causes the bridging of the contact fingers I65 and I19 by the controller segment I61, thereupon establishing an energizing circuit for the accelerating contactor I99 from the energized controller segment I61 through contact finger I10, conductor I80, and actuating coil I8I, to the energized conductor I10, thereby shunting the accelerating resistor I11 at the contact members I82. The armature I83 of the motor driving the washer thus comes up to normal operating speed- After a time, depending upon the configuration of the controller segment I61 and the speed of the timing motor I59, the reverse directional contactor R. is energized after the forward directional contactor has been deenergized. The circuit for the reverse directional contactor extends from the energized controller segment I61, through contact finger I84, conductors I85 and I86 and actuating coil I81, to the energized conductor I41, whereupon the operating circuit for the motor is established through the contact members I89 and conductor I80, energizing the second primary winding IBI through the circuit extending through the conductor I16, accelerating resistor I11, and conductor I18 to the energized conductor I40 and thus operating the motor in the reverse direction.

' The safety features heretofore discussed in connection with the modifications shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are also a part of this modification and, for that reason, need not be again discussed in detail.

We do not wish to be limited to the specific modifications herein disclosed because it is obvious that other modifications falling Well within the spirit of this invention may be devised. We wish only to be limited by the prior art and the scope of the claims forming part of this application.

We claim as our invention:

1. In an electrical control system, in combination with an oscillatory mechanism, a reversible motor and circuit therefor for operating said mechanism, current-limiting means for the motor, reversing switches for the motor, switching means for controlling said current-limiting means, a control switch for cont-rolling the operation of said reversing switches to control the energization of said motor, and means operable after certain operations of the switching means for effecting actuation of the control switch, said switching means being responsive to the operations of the reversing switches for reversing certain operations after a predetermined interval of time.

2. In an electrical control system for controlling the operation of a motor and machine driven thereby, a motor and circuits therefor, a supply of electrical energy for the motor, a reciprocatory device driven by the motor, said device, supply of electrical energy, motor and circuits being in combination with, current-limiting means for the motor, a switch for closing a circuit through the motor, a second switch biased to normally exclude said current-limiting means from the circuit established by said first named switch, means operable afterthe opening of the second switch for establishing the motor circuit to operate the motor, and means associated with the second named switch and responsive to the closing of the first named switch to effect successive excluding of said current-limiting means from the motor circuit, and reversing switches for said motor also operable only after said second named switch has opened to include said current limiting means in the motor circuit.

3. A control system for electric motors supervised by an attendant, a plurality of reversing motors, a source of electrical energy for the control system of the motors, machines driven by said motors, timing means adapted to prevent the starting of more than one motor at a time, starting means for each of said motors effective to start a given motor only when the attendant performs a given act and certain elements of the machine driven by the particular motor, the starting means of which are being actuated and both hands of the attendant are in given positions, and means operated by the timing means for reversing said motors in succession.

ROBERT S. ELBERTY, JR.

GEORGE C. PEARCE. 

